Lifestyles

Gamers roll dice to help Broomfield FISH

Local gamers will host a series of tabletop role-playing games to raise money for Broomfield FISH at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. Saturday at Total Escape Games, 6831 W. 120th Ave. Games are open to any skill level.

Participants must sign up to play games during the three time slots. Each game costs $3, and players receive a raffle ticket for each game. Players can receive extra raffle tickets for each additional $5 donation made during the sessions.

When local game lovers take on the role of adventurers, dark elves or assassins on Saturday, their imaginary characters will help fuel real donations to Broomfield FISH.

Total Escape Games and P5 Productions will host ThanksGaming Day as a way to give back to the community while growing and celebrating Broomfield's tabletop role playing game scene. Gamers will donate money to play popular role-playing games, such as Warhammer and Tremulus.

"It's a geek's paradise," said Justin Suzuki of P5 Productions, which does podcasts about new and popular games.

Sheila Higgins, one of the owners of Total Escape Games, said the event is meant to help boost FISH's food donations just before the holidays.

"It's a time when people start thinking about donating, and during the holidays, people have food on their minds," she said. "It costs $20 to provide a holiday meal for a family. We thought if people can see what their money is really doing, they would be more likely to donate."

The price to play the games starts at $3, but Higgins hopes to sweeten the deal and encourage larger donations by providing raffle tickets for game-themed prizes, such as weekend passes to gaming conventions and board game sets. The larger the donation, the more raffle tickets she will give to players.

Higgins said FISH was the ideal charity to support, because its family-centered mission fits well with Total Escape's family-centered store. The fundraiser will offer tabletop role playing games for any age level, including a game for kids called Mermaid Adventures.

P5's Suzuki said charity events also fit well with Total Escape's welcoming atmosphere. He participates in games each Tuesday night at the store and said Total Escape was generous enough to donate the space, staff and prizes to support the fundraising effort.

"I like organizing these types of events, because, beyond everything else, it's about the community," he said.

Suzuki also sees the FISH fundraiser as a way to welcome new gamers into the local community. The games are open to any skill level, making it an ideal time for newbies to familiarize themselves with popular games such as Warhammer, Tremulous, Cyberpunk 2020 and several versions of Savage Worlds.

Suzuki said he knows about half of the 60 people signed up for the event, and hopes to keep seeing new names on the sign-up sheet. If people stop by for charitable purposes, they might learn more about the gaming community, try out unfamiliar games and come back another night to play some more.

"The cool part is that it's a group activity, so you might meet people to play with later on," he said.

ThanksGaming Day is an extension of other fundraisers P5 Productions has organized in the past. After raising money for charities such as Jewish Family Services and the Birds of Prey Foundation, he and other podcast contributors decided to make a holiday fundraiser an annual event.

Suzuki hopes gamers will open their wallets just a little wider and pitch in a few extra dollars for FISH each time they sit down at a new game.

"It's an organization that supports families, and we just want to support them," he said.

GAME ON: Mike Lewis, left, watches while Bobby Bradshaw prepares for his next move Thursday as they play Warhammer 40k at Total Escape Games. The store and P5 Productions are holding a ThanksGaming Day fundraiser for Broomfield FISH on Saturday.
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David R. Jennings
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